negative
negative — verb
1. to give a 'no' reply when someone asks you something or makes a request, indicat
to give a 'no' reply when someone asks you something or makes a request, indicating you will not do what they want.
The manager negatived the reporter's question about layoffs with a firm 'no comment'.
negative + question for refusing to answer
Diya negatived the interviewer's request to discuss her previous salary.
The official negatived the journalist's request for access to the confidential documents.
passive: be negatived by [person]
Christopher negatived the offer to join the advisory board without giving a reason.
- negative a request
- negative a question
- negative an invitation
- negative an offer
Grammar Patterns
negative + noun phrase (request/question/invitation)
be negatived by [person/group]
Usage Note
Frequently used in formal responses to requests for information or action. The subject is typically an official, committee, or person in authority.
Common Mistakes
2. to stop a plan, proposal, or application from going ahead, typically through an
to stop a plan, proposal, or application from going ahead, typically through an official vote or decision.
The board of directors negatived the merger proposal by a vote of eight to three.
collocation: negative a proposal + by [vote count]
Local residents negatived the plan to build a highway through the nature reserve.
Apinya's application for a research visa was negatived by the embassy.
passive: be negatived by [institution]
The school board negatived the proposal to cut funding for the music programme.
- negative a proposal
- negative a motion
- negative an application
- negative a plan
Grammar Patterns
negative + noun phrase (proposal/plan/motion)
be negatived by [voting body]
Usage Note
Subject is typically a committee, board, council, or other decision-making body. Distinguish from sense 1 (ANSWER NO): sense 1 involves replying negatively to a question or request from someone; sense 2 involves actively blocking a plan or application through an official process.
Common Mistakes
3. to show through facts, evidence, or reasoning that a statement, belief, or accus
to show through facts, evidence, or reasoning that a statement, belief, or accusation is not true.
DNA evidence negatived the suspect's claim that he had never been at the scene.
negative + claim + with evidence
Recent studies have negatived the idea that eating eggs raises the risk of heart disease.
The scientist's experiment negatived the theory about how the virus spreads between species.
negative + theory for disproving a hypothesis
New evidence negatived the accusation that the company had knowingly sold faulty equipment.
- negative a theory
- negative a claim
- negative a belief
- negative an idea
Grammar Patterns
negative + noun phrase (theory/claim/belief/accusation)
Usage Note
Object is typically an abstract noun: theory, claim, belief, idea, hypothesis, accusation. Less common with concrete nouns. In academic and scientific writing, 'refute' or 'disprove' are more frequent alternatives.
Common Mistakes
4. to make something lose its intended effect or result, so that the good it would
to make something lose its intended effect or result, so that the good it would do is no longer present — for example, when one factor cancels out the benefit of another.
The health benefits of regular exercise were negatived by a diet full of processed food.
passive: be negatived by [opposing factor]
Higher wages would negative the effect of rising rent on workers.
The positive impact of the tax cut was negatived by a sharp increase in inflation.
negative + effect/impact for neutralizing
A minor mistake in the final report negatived all the progress the team had made.
- negative an effect
- negative an impact
- negative progress
- negative benefits
- neutralize
equally formal; suggests making something harmless
- counteract
suggests active opposition to an effect
- cancel out
phrasal verb, less formal and more common in speech
- enhance
to increase or improve an effect
- strengthen
to make an effect more powerful
Grammar Patterns
negative + noun phrase (effect/impact/progress/benefit)
be negatived by [opposing factor]
Usage Note
Object is most often an abstract noun describing a positive outcome: benefit, progress, effect, impact, gain. The negating factor is typically introduced by 'by'. Distinguish from sense 3 (PROVE WRONG): sense 3 disproves a factual claim; sense 4 cancels the practical result of an action.
Common Mistakes
negative — noun
1. A piece of transparent photographic film or glass plate on which the light and d
A piece of transparent photographic film or glass plate on which the light and dark areas of a scene are reversed, used to produce positive prints in traditional photography.
The wedding photographer keeps her negatives in a climate-controlled cabinet.
possessive: photographer's negatives
A single scratched negative can ruin hundreds of prints for a project.
Xiu found a box of film negatives while cleaning out her late uncle's studio.
collocation: film negatives
Without the original negative, the photo lab cannot reproduce the old portrait.
conditional: without the original negative
These glass negatives survived the fire because they were stored in a steel cabinet.
collocation: glass negatives
- film negative
- glass negative
- original negative
- develop a negative
- scan a negative
- store negatives
- film
broader term; 'negative' specifies that the image has reversed tones
- positive
the developed print made from a negative, showing normal light and shade
Grammar Patterns
negative + verb (shows, survives)
verb + negative (develop, scan, store, rescue)
Usage Note
Frequently preceded by a material type ('film negative', 'glass negative', 'paper negative') to distinguish the physical medium. In modern digital photography, this sense is much less common than it was in the 20th century.
Common Mistakes
2. A spoken or written reply that says 'no', refusing, denying, or disagreeing with
A spoken or written reply that says 'no', refusing, denying, or disagreeing with a proposal, question, or request.
When Caio proposed the new schedule, the team's negative caught him off guard.
possessive: team's negative
The ambassador's letter was a polite negative to the trade agreement.
collocation: polite negative
Eshe asked three banks for a loan and received two negatives and one yes.
mixed-response structure: negatives and one yes
A simple negative from the chairperson ended the debate immediately.
Parents often hear a negative before their child explains the full story.
- polite negative
- firm negative
- clear negative
- a simple negative
- take something as a negative
- affirmative
formal opposite; a reply that expresses 'yes'
- positive
a favourable or agreeing response
Grammar Patterns
[possessive] + negative
a + adjective + negative
verb + as a negative
Common Mistakes
3. An aspect of something that is disadvantageous, unpleasant, or undesirable; a dr
An aspect of something that is disadvantageous, unpleasant, or undesirable; a drawback or shortcoming.
The only negative of living near the airport is the constant plane noise.
collocation: only negative of
Eli listed the positives and negatives of each candidate before voting.
paired usage: positives and negatives
Every restaurant review mentioned the slow service as a major negative.
collocation: major negative
Before signing the lease, Anjali wrote down the negatives about the property.
The job's main negative is the long commute through heavy city traffic.
collocation: main negative
- main negative
- major negative
- only negative
- weigh the negatives
- negatives and positives
- list the negatives
- drawback
directly synonymous; interchangeable in most contexts
- downside
slightly less formal than 'negative'; more common in everyday speech
- disadvantage
slightly stronger — emphasises inequality or unfairness
- positive
a good feature, benefit, or advantage
Grammar Patterns
[determiner] + negative + of [noun]
the + [adjective] + negative
negatives and positives
Usage Note
Almost always used in a comparative or evaluative context alongside 'positive(s)'. Subject is typically a decision, plan, product, or situation being weighed.
Common Mistakes
4. A result from a medical or scientific test indicating that a particular substanc
A result from a medical or scientific test indicating that a particular substance, disease, or condition is not present in the sample tested.
Sari's test came back a negative, so the treatment has been working well.
collocation: came back a negative
The clinic reported over two hundred negatives in last month's screening drive.
passive: negatives were reported
A negative for tuberculosis means the patient can leave isolation immediately.
definitional structure: a negative for X means...
Liam felt relieved when his allergy panel returned as a negative.
The lab technician double-checked each negative before issuing the final report.
- come back a negative
- report a negative
- return as a negative
- a negative for [disease]
- double-check each negative
- all-clear
informal and used mainly in health or safety contexts
- positive
a test result showing that the substance, disease, or condition is present
Grammar Patterns
come back a negative
report a negative
[verb] as a negative
a negative for [disease/condition]
Usage Note
Commonly follows verbs like 'come back', 'return', or 'report'. In public-health reporting, the plural 'negatives' is frequent (e.g. '100 negatives out of 500 tests'). This noun usage is slightly more formal than the adjective pattern 'the test was negative'.
Common Mistakes
negative — adjective
1. said or written to show that you are refusing, disagreeing, or saying "no" to so
said or written to show that you are refusing, disagreeing, or saying "no" to something — for example, a negative reply to an invitation or a negative vote on a proposal.
When Élise asked if she could stay up late, her father gave a negative answer.
negative + noun (answer/reply/vote/response)
More than half of the people surveyed gave a negative response.
A negative vote means you do not agree with the proposed change.
Christopher's negative reply to the job offer surprised his coworkers.
The committee's negative decision meant the funding request was turned down.
- negative answer
- negative reply
- negative response
- negative vote
- negative decision
- dissenting
more formal; used for official votes or legal opinions
- rejecting
stronger; implies outright refusal rather than simply saying no
- affirmative
formal; used in official or military contexts
- positive
the general opposite in most everyday situations
Grammar Patterns
negative + noun (answer/reply/vote/response/decision)
be negative (the answer/reply was negative)
Usage Note
Typically used before nouns such as 'answer,' 'reply,' 'response,' 'vote,' or 'decision.' The opposite of this sense is 'affirmative' or 'positive.'
Common Mistakes
2. describing a grammatical structure in which a word that expresses the opposite o
describing a grammatical structure in which a word that expresses the opposite of something — such as "not" or "never" — is used to show that an idea is false, did not happen, or does not exist.
"I do not like spicy food" is an example of a negative sentence.
negative sentence / negative statement / negative clause
The word "never" turns a positive statement into a negative one.
"There is no milk left" uses the word "no" to make a negative statement.
Negative commands in English often begin with "do not" or the short form "don't."
By changing "she was ready" to "she was not ready," Liam made a negative clause.
- negative sentence
- negative statement
- negative clause
- negative question
- negative command
- affirmative
used to describe sentences that make a positive statement without negation
- positive
the everyday opposite in grammar contexts
Grammar Patterns
negative sentence
negative statement
negative clause
negative question
negative command
Usage Note
Primarily used as an attributive adjective before grammar terms: 'sentence,' 'statement,' 'clause,' 'command,' 'question.' The opposite grammatical term is 'positive' or 'affirmative.'
Common Mistakes
3. having a mindset that focuses on what is wrong and expects failure rather than s
having a mindset that focuses on what is wrong and expects failure rather than success — for example, assuming an exam will be failed or a project will fall apart.
Reuben has a negative attitude about the move and keeps listing possible problems.
negative attitude / negative comments / negative remarks
After losing three games in a row, the team's mood turned quite negative.
Gabriela tried to ignore the negative comments and focus on improving her work.
A negative person tends to point out problems rather than look for solutions.
The online review was full of negative remarks about the restaurant's service.
- negative attitude
- negative comments
- negative remarks
- negative review
- negative feedback
- negative about
- pessimistic
stronger focus on general life outlook rather than a single opinion
- gloomy
more emotional; suggests sadness rather than critical judgment
- cynical
implies distrust of others' motives, not just expecting bad outcomes
- optimistic
expecting good things to happen
- positive
general opposite in everyday language
Grammar Patterns
be negative about something
negative attitude
negative comments/remarks/reviews
Usage Note
Frequently used before nouns of communication — 'attitude,' 'comment,' 'remark,' 'review,' 'feedback.' Can also be used predicatively: 'He is very negative about the plan.' The opposite is 'positive' or 'optimistic.'
Common Mistakes
4. producing an unwanted or damaging result on a person, group, or system — for exa
producing an unwanted or damaging result on a person, group, or system — for example, the negative effects of pollution on health or the negative impact of losing a job.
Too much screen time can have a negative effect on a child's sleep quality.
negative effect / negative impact / negative consequences
The new factory had a negative impact on the air quality in the nearby town.
Rania's negative experience with the rental company made her look for another option.
Scientists are studying the negative consequences of rising temperatures on crop production.
A lack of regular exercise can produce negative changes in both physical and mental health.
- negative effect
- negative impact
- negative consequence
- negative outcome
- negative experience
- negative change
- adverse
more formal; often used in official or medical contexts
- harmful
focuses on physical damage rather than general undesirability
- detrimental
formal; suggests long-term damage to health or success
- positive
general opposite meaning beneficial or good
- beneficial
implies a helpful or useful outcome
Grammar Patterns
negative effect/impact/consequence
negative experience
negative outcome
Usage Note
The subject is usually an event, action, substance, or habit; the thing affected is often a person, group, community, or system. Common noun partners: 'effect,' 'impact,' 'consequence,' 'outcome,' 'experience,' 'change.' The opposite of this sense is 'positive' (meaning beneficial).
Common Mistakes
5. relating to the polarity of electricity that an electron carries; a negatively c
relating to the polarity of electricity that an electron carries; a negatively charged object has extra electrons and is marked with a minus sign (−) on diagrams or devices.
In a battery, the negative terminal is usually marked with a minus sign.
negative charge / negative terminal / negative pole
Electrons carry a negative electric charge, while protons carry a positive one.
Sora connected the black wire to the negative side of the circuit board.
Rubbing a plastic comb against your hair creates a negative charge on it.
The negative electrode in a simple battery is often made of zinc metal.
- negative charge
- negative terminal
- negative pole
- negative electrode
- negative wire
- negative side
- positive
the opposite electric charge carried by protons
Grammar Patterns
negative charge
negative terminal
negative pole
negative electrode
Usage Note
Used in physics and electronics contexts only. Almost always appears before a noun — 'charge,' 'terminal,' 'pole,' 'electrode,' 'wire,' 'side.' The opposite term is 'positive.'
Common Mistakes
6. (of a medical or scientific test) showing that a particular disease, substance,
(of a medical or scientific test) showing that a particular disease, substance, or condition is not present in the body or sample being examined.
Liam was relieved when his blood test came back negative for the infection.
negative test / came back negative / test negative for
A negative pregnancy test usually means the woman is not pregnant.
The lab reported a negative result — no harmful bacteria were found in the water.
Because Zola's virus test was negative, she was cleared to travel.
The doctor said a negative culture result means no bacteria grew from the sample.
- negative test
- negative result
- test negative for
- came back negative
- negative culture
- positive
showing that a disease, substance, or condition IS present
Grammar Patterns
test is negative
negative test result
test negative for [disease/substance]
Usage Note
Distinguish from sense 7 (adjective): this sense refers to the test or result itself coming back negative; sense 7 refers to the person who has received a negative test result and is described as 'negative' (e.g., 'She is negative for the virus'). Common with preposition 'for' — 'tested negative FOR cancer / the flu / a drug.'
Common Mistakes
7. describes a person, animal, or sample that has been tested and found not to have
describes a person, animal, or sample that has been tested and found not to have a particular disease, substance, or condition that the test was checking for.
Dewi was relieved to learn that she was negative for the virus after waiting for the lab results.
All blood donations at the clinic were screened and confirmed negative for hepatitis.
confirmed negative — passive construction for test status
Takeshi's food product was tested and found to be negative for the allergen before it went on sale.
found to be negative for [substance]
The hospital confirmed that all staff who had contact with the patient were negative for the infection.
Sana checked the test report and saw that her baby was negative for the genetic disorder.
- test negative for
- be negative for
- confirmed negative
- clear
informal; often used in the phrase 'clear of [disease]'
- positive
confirmed to have the disease or substance the test was looking for
Grammar Patterns
be negative for [disease/substance]
test negative for [disease/substance]
Usage Note
This sense refers to the person or thing that was tested, not the test itself. Compare sense 6 (NEGATIVE TEST), which describes the test result as an object.
Common Mistakes
8. describes a number, amount, or temperature that has a value less than zero, usua
describes a number, amount, or temperature that has a value less than zero, usually shown with a minus sign (−).
The temperature in Winnipeg dropped to negative fifteen degrees Celsius last night.
Andrew checked his bank account and saw that his balance had gone negative after the rent payment.
go negative — of a bank balance
In mathematics class, Gabriel learned how to add and subtract negative numbers.
The freezer must be kept at a negative temperature to keep the ice cream hard.
negative temperature — below freezing point
If a company loses more money than it earns, its profits become a negative number.
- negative number
- negative temperature
- negative balance
- go negative
- negative value
- positive
above zero on a scale
Grammar Patterns
negative + number/noun
be/go negative
Common Mistakes
9. describes a blood type that does not contain the Rh protein, used in medical sit
describes a blood type that does not contain the Rh protein, used in medical situations to match blood for transfusions or to manage pregnancy health.
Ada's blood type is O negative, which means she can donate to any patient in an emergency.
A pregnant woman who is Rh negative may need a special injection if the baby has a different blood type.
Rh negative — medical blood classification
Blood banks usually have a greater need for donors with negative blood types because they are less common.
The nurse checked Élise's medical records and confirmed that her blood was Rh negative.
Hospitals label blood bags clearly so that Rh negative patients never receive Rh positive blood by mistake.
- Rh negative
- O negative
- negative blood type
- negative donor
- Rh-negative
the full medical term with the same meaning
- positive
having the Rh factor present in the blood
Grammar Patterns
[blood type] negative
be Rh negative
Usage Note
The term is almost always used together with a blood group letter such as A, B, AB, or O — for example, A negative, B negative, AB negative, or O negative.
10. describes a photographic image in which the bright parts of the original scene a
describes a photographic image in which the bright parts of the original scene appear dark and the dark parts appear light, as seen on undeveloped film or a negative strip.
In the darkroom, Joaquín watched the negative image of the landscape slowly appear on the paper.
A negative film makes the sky appear dark and the trees look light, the opposite of the real scene.
negative film — film with reversed tones
The photographer held the negative strip up to the light to check the exposure of each shot.
Before digital cameras existed, every picture was first recorded as a negative image on a roll of film.
The old photo album contained contact prints made directly from the original negative sheets.
- negative image
- negative film
- negative strip
- negative print
- inverted
broader term; describes any image with reversed colours, not only photographic
- positive
a print or image that shows correct light-and-dark values matching the original scene
Grammar Patterns
negative + film/image/print
Usage Note
This sense is less common since digital cameras became widely used, but it remains the standard term in film photography and art contexts.
11. describes a direction, movement, or electrical charge that goes against a standa
describes a direction, movement, or electrical charge that goes against a standard reference that has been chosen as positive.
On a number line, moving to the left of zero takes you in the negative direction.
The battery terminal with the minus sign connects to the negative wire in the circuit.
negative wire — the wire connected to the negative terminal
In physics class, Christopher learned that a negative acceleration means the object is slowing down.
The graph shows a negative slope, which means the line goes downward as you move from left to right.
negative slope — a line falling from left to right
Folake connected the red wire to the positive terminal and the black wire to the negative terminal.
- negative direction
- negative charge
- negative terminal
- negative slope
- negative acceleration
- reverse
implies backward or opposite movement, broader in use than 'negative'
- positive
the standard reference direction or type of charge
Grammar Patterns
negative + direction/charge/terminal/slope
Usage Note
Common in mathematics, physics, and electronics to describe values or movements measured relative to a chosen zero point or reference direction.
Common Mistakes
Word family
- negateverbC1
- negationnounC1
- negativitynounB2
- negativismnounC2
- negativistnounC2
- negligibleadjectiveB2
- negativelyadverbB1
Synonym discussion
Sense: adjective/3
All three compared words share territory with 'negative' (adjective/3, PESSIMISTIC OUTLOOK), but each carries a distinct flavour. 'Pessimistic' is the closest synonym — it means expecting the worst outcome, which is a narrower and more specific stance than 'negative'. A person can be negative about a single event without being pessimistic in general. 'Cynical' goes further: a cynical person not only expects bad outcomes but also distrusts others' motives, believing that people act only out of self-interest. 'Negative' on its own does not imply distrust. 'Adverse' differs structurally: it describes conditions or circumstances rather than a person's mindset. 'Adverse weather' means unfavourable weather, not weather with a bad attitude. In practice: 'Mei-Lin was negative about the project' (focused on problems); 'Mei-Lin was pessimistic about the project' (expected it to fail); 'Mei-Lin was cynical about the project' (suspected the team had hidden agendas); 'the project faced adverse conditions' (external difficulties, not opinions).
Common collocations
Noun
- in the negative
- double negative
- answer in the negative
- negatives and positives
- weigh the negatives
Verb
- negative a claim
- negative a proposal
- negative a request
- negative a theory
- negative an application
- negative a motion
- negative a plan
- negative an effect
Adjective
- negative attitude
- negative effect
- negative impact
- negative feedback
- negative response
- negative consequences
- negative test result
- negative number
- negative charge
- negative experience
- negative comments
- negative review
Etymology
From Latin 'negativus' (meaning 'that denies'), derived from the verb 'negare' ('to deny, say no'). It entered Middle English through Old French 'negatif' in the 15th century, first appearing in legal and logical writing to describe propositions that deny or refuse. The photographic and scientific senses emerged in the 19th century as technology expanded the word's range.